Personal Assistant

Job Overview

The Personal Assistant to the President provides high-level administrative, coordination, and executive support to the President of SIMCC.

This role requires a highly organised, responsible, proactive, and detail-oriented individual who is able to manage multiple priorities, follow up on important matters, coordinate with internal departments and external partners, and ensure that instructions from the President are carried out promptly and accurately.

As SIMCC works with schools, education partners, government organisations, vendors, and stakeholders from many countries, the PA must be comfortable working in a fast-paced and international environment.

The successful candidate must have strong communication skills, good judgement, a high level of confidentiality, and the ability to independently monitor outstanding matters and ensure proper follow-up.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive and Administrative Support

• Provide daily administrative and executive support to the President.

• Manage the President’s appointments, meetings, schedules, and important deadlines.

• Coordinate meetings with internal staff, country partners, schools, vendors, and external organisations.

• Prepare meeting agendas, documents, presentations, reports, and other materials when required.

• Take meeting notes and record important decisions, instructions, and follow-up actions.

• Organise files, documents, correspondence, and records for easy reference.

• Assist the President in preparing for meetings, business trips, events, and official engagements.

2. Follow-Up and Task Coordination

• Record instructions and action items given by the President and ensure that they are followed up promptly.

• Monitor outstanding tasks, deadlines, and deliverables across different departments.

• Follow up with staff members on the progress of assigned work.

• Provide regular updates to the President on outstanding matters.

• Remind relevant staff of deadlines and escalate delays or important issues when necessary.

• Ensure that decisions made during meetings are properly communicated and implemented.

3. Communication and Correspondence

• Assist with drafting and reviewing emails, letters, WhatsApp messages, announcements, reports, and other correspondence.

• Communicate with internal staff and external parties on behalf of the President when authorised.

• Screen and prioritise incoming messages, requests, and correspondence.

• Ensure important or urgent matters are brought to the President’s attention promptly.

• Maintain professional communication with international country partners, schools, education organisations, vendors, and other stakeholders.

4. Meeting Management

• Schedule and coordinate management, departmental, partner, and external meetings.

• Ensure participants receive the necessary meeting information and documents in advance.

• Prepare meeting agendas and relevant supporting materials.

• Record key discussion points, decisions, responsibilities, and deadlines.

• Maintain an action-item list after meetings and follow up with responsible parties.

• Ensure the President receives timely updates on the completion of agreed actions.

5. Travel and International Programme Support

• Assist with the President’s local and overseas travel arrangements.

• Coordinate flights, accommodation, airport transfers, transportation, meeting schedules, and itineraries.

• Prepare travel documents and supporting information required for overseas trips.

• Liaise with overseas partners, hotels, tour agencies, event organisers, and other parties when required.

• Support the President during major international competitions, conferences, programmes, and events where necessary.

6. SIMCC Competition and Event Support

• Follow up with relevant departments on competition preparation, logistics, registration, marketing, finance, event management, and operational matters.

• Help consolidate progress reports from different teams for the President's review.

• Support urgent operational matters during major events and competition periods.

• Attend important events or overseas programmes when required.

7. Document and Information Management

• Maintain proper records of important documents, approvals, agreements, correspondence, and meeting decisions.

• Assist in preparing reports, spreadsheets, presentations, proposals, and management documents.

• Ensure confidential and sensitive information is handled securely.

• Maintain organised electronic and physical filing systems.

• Keep important reference information updated for the President.

8. Internal Coordination

• Act as an important coordination point between the President and different SIMCC departments.

• Follow up with department heads and staff regarding assignments from the President.

• Help ensure information flows accurately and promptly between departments.

• Identify matters requiring management attention and highlight them to the President.

• Assist with special projects assigned by the President.

Requirements

• Diploma or Degree in Business Administration, Management, Communications, Hospitality, Events Management, or a related field.

• Preferably at least 2–3 years of relevant working experience as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant, Administrative Executive, Secretary, Project Coordinator, or similar role.

• Strong written and spoken English.

• Strong organisational and time-management skills.

• Able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.

• Strong follow-up skills and attention to detail.

• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

• Comfortable using online communication, collaboration, and document-management systems.

• Able to work independently with minimal supervision.

• Able to handle confidential information professionally.

• Willing to work beyond normal office hours during major competitions, events, or urgent periods when required.

• Willing and able to travel overseas when required.

Preferred Attributes

The ideal candidate should be:

• Highly organised and systematic.

• Proactive rather than waiting for instructions.

• Strong in following up and ensuring tasks are completed.

• Responsible and dependable.

• Detail-oriented and careful with information.

• Able to prioritise urgent and important matters.

• Comfortable communicating with senior management and international stakeholders.

• Able to remain calm and organised in a fast-paced environment.

• Flexible and adaptable when priorities change.

• Discreet and trustworthy when dealing with confidential matters.

• Able to understand instructions quickly and convert them into clear action items.

Key Performance Expectations

The PA is expected to ensure that:

• The President's schedule and appointments are properly organised.

• Important instructions and action items are not overlooked.

• Outstanding tasks are followed up until completion.

• Important deadlines are monitored and communicated.

• Meetings are properly prepared and documented.

• Information provided to the President is accurate and timely.

• Internal and external communications are handled professionally.

• Confidential information is protected.

• The President is able to focus on strategic and organisational matters without being unnecessarily involved in routine administrative follow-up.

Working Environment

SIMCC operates in a dynamic international education environment and organises competitions, programmes, conferences, and events involving participants and partners from many countries.

The position therefore requires flexibility, strong coordination skills, and the ability to handle periods of high workload, particularly before and during major international competitions and events.